Latch.



LEROY ROMINES, OF MARTINSVILLE, ILLINOIS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed February 16, 1910.

Patented Feb. '7, 1911.

Serial No. 544,289.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LEROY ROMINES, citizen of the United States,residing at Martinsville, in the county of Clark and State of Illinois,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Latches, of whichthe following is a specification.

This invention comprehends certain new and useful improvements inlatches, particularly designed for sliding barn doors, althoughapplicable for other uses generally, and the invention has for itsprimary obj ect a simple, durable and efiicient construction of latch,whereby a movement tending to open the door will automatically disengagethe latch-bolt from the keeper, and will also move the latch-bolt backinto the casing so that it will be out of the way while the door isopen, and whereby also, a movement tending to close the door willproject the latch-bolt from the easing into an operative position readyfor engagement with the keeper when the door is fully closed.

with this and other objects in view, as will more fully appear as thedescription proceeds, the invention consists in certain constructions,arrangements and combinations of the parts that I shall hereinafterfully describe and claim.

For a full understanding of the invention reference is to be had to thefollowing description and accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 is aside elevation of a latch constructed in accordance with my invention, apart of the casing being broken away; Fig. 2 is a side elevation of thedevice with the casing in section, and illustrating the parts in theirrelative positions after the bolt has been retracted within the casing;Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view on the line 33 of Fig. 2; and,Fig. 4 is a detail perspective view of some of the parts detached and injuxtaposition to each other.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the followingdescription and indicated in all the views of the accompanying drawingby the same reference characters.

My improved latch may embody a casing 1 of any desired construction ordesign to receive the latch-bolt 2. The latch-bolt is supported at itsrear end by being formed with a longitudinal and preferably obliquesideopening slot 3 which accommodates a pin a secured to the casing,thereby admitting of a longitudinal sliding movement of the latchbolt,as well as a tilting movement thereof. The bolt 2 is formed at itsforward end with a hook 5 designed to engage a keeper 6 of any desiredconstruction or design, said keeper in the present instance being formedwith a lug 7, as shown.

A spring 8 which in the present instance is a leaf or plate spring issecured at one end within the casing 1, and bears downwardly upon theupper edge of the bolt 2 and holds the same in proper engagement with asupporting slide 9, which is mounted for a back and forth movement inthe casing. A handle 10 of any desired type is connected to the slide.The slide 9 is formed at its forward end with an upwardly projectingtongue 11 preferably beveled on its rear edge and designed to co-actwith a lip 12 which extends downwardly from the lower edge of thelatch-bolt 2 in the rear of the hooked finger 5 thereof. This lip isbeveled on its front edge, as shown. In the retracted and inoperativeposition of the latch-bolt 2, it will rest with the lip 12 directly uponthe tongue 11 of the slide 9, as illustrated in Fig. 2 whereas in theprojected and operative position of the bolt, the tongue 11 will extendin front of the lip to support the bolt in a lowered position, ready forengagement with the keeper, as illustrated in Fig. 1. The slide 9 isformed at its rear end with an upwardly projecting lug 13 designed toengage with av downwardly projecting lug let formed on the latch-bolt 2at the rear end of the latter.

From the foregoing description in connection with the accompanyingdrawing, the operation of my improved latch will be apparent. In thepractical use of the de vice, it being now assumed that the door isclosed, that the slide 9 is at the forward limit of its movement withits tongue 11 extending in front of the lip 12 and with the latch-bolt 2in projected and lowered.

osition, a movement of the slide 9 as the handle 10 thereof is graspedto open the door will obviously tilt or move the latchbolt 2 upwardly,and automatically effect the disengagement of the bolt with the keeper,the two beveled surfaces of the tongue and lip riding one upon the otherin evident manner. A continued independent movement of the slide 9 asthe door is pulled ppen will cause the lug 13 of the slide to engagewith the lug 14 of the latch-bolt, and thereby cause the bolt to beretracted into the way so long as the door is open.

casing where it will be entirely out of the To again close the door, itis only necessary to grasp the handle 10 and pull the same in therequired direction, whereupon it is obvious that the tongue 11 will moveforwardly from underneath the lip 12 and permit the latch to lower, thecontinued forward movement of the slide causing the bolt to be projectedin a lowered position (as the slide will engage with the lug 15 formedon the bolt), and the latch-bolt will thereby be held in proper positionfor engagement with the keeper 6. The beveled front edge of thelatch-bolt will, of course, engage with the lug 7 of the keeper and thespring 8 will yield, and the latch-bolt will ride upwardly and then dropinto locked position.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. The combination with a door, of a sliding and tilting latch boltcarried thereby, a slide also carried by the door and engaging the latchbolt, the slide and latch bolt being provided with coacting meanswhereby a movement of the slide in one direction will first release thelatch bolt and then move the same inwardly and whereby the firstmovement of the slide in the opposite direction will permit the latchbolt to drop and then positively move the same bodily in a directionopposite to the first named bodily movement.

2. The combination with a door of a latch bolt carried thereby andmounted to tilt and slide, a slide also carried by the door, means forsupporting the rear end of the latch bolt, the slide being provided withan upwardly projecting lip adapted to support the front end of the latchbolt and the latter being formed with a depending tongue designed toride on said lip in the movement of the slide in one direction wherebyto raise the front end of the latch bolt, the latch bolt and slide beingalso provided with coacting lugs designed to contact whereby to move thelatch bolt bodily in a rearward direction.

3. The combination with a door of a latch bolt carried thereby andmounted to tilt and slide, a slide also carried by the door, means forsupporting the rear end of the latch bolt, the slide being provided withan upwardly projecting lip adapted to support the front end of the latchbolt, and the latter being formed with a depending tongue designed toride on said lip in the movement of the slide in one direction wherebyto raise the front end of the latch bolt, the latch bolt and slide beingalso provided with coacting lugs designed to contact whereby to move thelatch bolt bodily in a rearward direction, and the latch bolt beingprovided near its front end with a lug adapted to be engaged by thetongue to move the latch bolt bodily in a forward direction.

at. A latch, comprising a casing, a pin extending across the same, alatch bolt formed with a longitudinally extending side opening slotreceiving said pin, the latch bolt being mounted to tilt and slidethereon, a slide mounted in said casing, a handle connected to theslide, the slide being formed at its forward end with an upwardlyprojecting tongue having a beveled rear edge and the latch bolt beingformed with a depending lip formed with a beveled front edge, the lipbeing adapted to ride upon the tongue upon the movement of the slide inone direction, the latchbolt being formed with a depending lug spacedfrom and in front of the lip, and being provided at its rear end with :1depending lug, the slide being formed at its rear end with a lug adaptedto engage the just mentioned lug.

5. The combination with a door and an abutment provided with a keeper,of a sliding and tilting latch bolt carried by the door and adapted toengage the keeper, means independent of the latch bolt and carried bythe door, whereby the door may be opened and closed, and a connectionbetween such means and the latch bolt whereby a movement tending to openthe door will first automatically tilt the latch bolt out of engagementwith the keeper and slide the "latch bolt rearwardly.

(i. The combination with a door and an abutment provided with a keeper,of a sliding and tilting latch bolt carried by the door and adapted toengage the keeper, means carried by the door whereby it may be openedand closed, said means being movable in a horizontal plane and arrangedto engage the latch bolt in the movement of such means to open the door,the engagement of said means with the latch bolt automatically tiltingthe latch bolt out of engagement with the keeper and sliding the latchbolt rearwardly.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

LEROY ROMINES. [1 s.]

Witnesses:

EDGAR SUMMERS,

J. O. MILLER.

